CNG stations in Gurgaon to now stay open 24x7

The district administration will inspect all CNG stations to see if vehicle queues were leading to jams.(HT File)

With an aim to shorten long queues at CNG stations and avoid resulting jams during the day, the district administration on Tuesday ordered all stations supplying the green fuel in the Gurgaon to remain functional 24x7.

Action will be taken against CNG station dealers who do not keep their refuelling stations open at all times, sub divisional magistrate Bharat Bhushan Gogia said in a meeting with the CNG station dealers and the district administration.

The CNG station dealers were also told to submit affidavits stating that they would abide by the new hours of operation.

The longer operation hours were introduced specifically for CNG stations as it takes longer to fill CNG than petrol or diesel. This results in long queues at the stations which often spill on to the roads, at times stretching on for kilometers, and causing traffic congestion.

The district administration will also inspect CNG stations to check if they are open 24x7 or not, and if the vehicles are creating traffic congestions in the area because of CNG stations.

The representative of Haryana City Gas Distribution Limited (HCGDL), the sole supplier of CNG in the city, said all stations have been informed about the development.

“CNG stations see long queues because of CNG’s longer refueling time. Supply shortage is not an issue in the city. We have a supply capacity of 3.5lakh kg per day, which meets the demand of CNG in Gurgaon, ” Rahul Chopra, chief executive officer of HCGDL, said.

In a bid to arrest the rising air pollution, the Supreme Court had order converting diesel taxis and autos to CNG. The order also propelled the distributer to expand its operations in the city.

As per the initial announcements made by HCGDL, Gurgaon was supposed to have a total of 50 CNG stations by 2015, but the city only has 21 CNG stations as of now.

Chopra said in the next few months, the city will get two more CNG stations which will be located in Sector 15 part 2 and in Sector 72.

The move keep all CNG stations open 24x7 will enable residents to refuel at night when there is less traffic on the roads.

The decision comes at a time when the state government enlisted a slew of measures, prominent among them being parking of vehicles at designated spaces in Gurgaon and Faridabad to avoid jams and to reduce pollution.